TOPIC: 2015 Blue Vapor

I really liked the 2014 Lithium Vapor. I experimented with compound wings while on that Vapor. I started with a 45° and it seemed to slow the turn down too much. I then went to a 22.5° compound and liked that much better.

When I first rode the new 2015 Vapor, I set it up just like I had the 2014 set up. However, the 2015 with the 22.5° compound wing felt like the 2014 with the 45° compound wing setup. It seemed to turn too slow with the compound wing. I took off the 22.5° wing and put the standard wing on and like the way it felt. To me, the Blue Vapor feels like the green Vapor with a 22.5° compound wing on. The new vapor has a different carbon layup. As you can see by the chart below the video, the 2015 is softer torsionally than the 2014.

Here is a video of my set today. I only skied six passes. 28, 32, 35, 38, 35, 35.

I am currently riding a 2010 65" Radar senate. 135lb. Opening pass is -15@32 and pb is 4 @-28@34. I have been thinking about upgrading my ski and have been doing a lot of reading about the vapor. Lots of people loved the Vapor when it came out but there seems to be more love for the blue over the green. Eddie at Radar has recommended the 66" vapor rather than a 65"...Vapor is not as wide as thre Senate.

Bud you are extremely analytical and you have ridden both so i'm wondering your opinion. Wondering if I should get a green ski this year or wait a year and look for a blue one. Is the difference significant enough to warrant waiting? To be clear, $1500 for a new one is out of the question, I can pull the trigger on last year's model, I do think there is still a little bit of progress to be made on this ski but I think it may come faster with a better ski.

Right now I feel I like the "stock" blue better than the "stock" green. However, there is a simple change you can make to the green Vapor that I believe makes it feel pretty much like the blue vapor. Therefore, I would say to go ahead and get a green one now that is in your budget and enjoy. We are not promised tomorrow.

I weight about 138lbs. and have ridden a 66" green Vapor from 26.7mph 15off through 34.2mph 1@410ff. So, I concur with Eddie Roberts on the size you need.

I would caution you about used skis. It is possible to buy a ski that has been left in the sun or in a hot car where the good intentioned owner does not realize they are selling a ruined ski. Be careful what you buy used.

Two weeks ago, I over skied a pass and had really bad pain in my back after the next pass. In other words; I ran up the rope and when I cut to 38off, I over skied it and tossed the handle out of #4 buoy. Next pass, I ran 38off and felt like I ran it comfortably with room to spare. As I was setting in the water, I started thinking I should get in the boat and rest my back from the first 38 attempt. By the time the boat was on the trailer and I was getting unsuited, I could hardly move. My wife had to assist me in walking. I got a MRI and they scheduled an epidural about three weeks away.

After a couple days resting, I started working PT on my back, self prescribed. I got back on the water the following Sunday after seven days off. I suited up with a more heavy duty back plate. I skied a short set of six passes. 2 – 28s and 4 – 32s. I have since skied four more sets, each 28, 32 and 4 – 35s.

I am skiing absent of pain. It is hard to stand at the kitchen and bath counter and very painful to drive.

The point of my post is: I do not know if it is improved technique or this new blue Vapor, but these 35off passes feel better than they have ever felt. I consistently have more space ahead of and outside of the buoys than I ever remember having at this loop.

I am so eager to cut the line shorter, but I want more healing time before do. I am so psyched out about how the 35s feel, I am thinking when I think my back is ready, I might just skip 38 and go right to 39.

I think the skis felt very similar when I had the 22.5° compound wing on the green Vapor and the stock wing on the blue Vapor. Including 28/32 off.

When the Vapor first came out, Rossi had me try some different settings and let him know what I thought. All the settings felt great. I do not think I could really tell the difference. After testing the different setting, I put it on the Rossi published numbers. I only ski 34.2mph, so the settings might not affect me as much as someone skiing 36mph.

That being said, it would make sense to use Rossi numbers for 36mph and Rini numbers for 34.2mph.

The problem I have with changing my settings and such, is that I tend to think in the past instead of the now. I have limited thinking capacity, so if I am thinking about what the turn just felt like with the new settings, then I will not be thinking about what I need to be doing.

Hey fu_man,
You might have seen this on the Radar site, but here is a screen capture. I put my green Vapor on Rossi setting for the 66".

I have heard a lot of people say to leave the wing off until 28off. I think that might be good advice as long as the ski is stable.
I have seen some people try the old 9100 without the wing and take hard falls because of instability in that ski.

Wow, the Vapor was awesome. 1st sets stayed at my opening pass-15 @32. Left the wing on and the ski felt great. Across the wakes so fast and like the ski was on rails. Ski turned great. The only issue I had was blowing out the tail on the backside of the ball. Happened quite a bit even when I really focused on softening my knees through the turn. Set the fin up to the factory settings above. Before you ask for video,I don't have any. Suggestions?

Others might give good analysis without seeing someone ski, but it is hard for me.
All I could do is guess that a tail could blow out if a ski took a direct path into the buoy with excessive speed and then the ski was forced around with the back foot.

I would not change ski set-up. In my opinion, the best things to do on your new ski:
(1) Video your skiing.
(2) Try to not take too much load from the boat.[Edit: Try not to load the boat after the wake.]
(3) Cast the ski out and head for an early/wide target while stacked over the ski with good front foot pressure.

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